A multiplication table normally contains the numbers one through 12 both vertically and horizontally. It contains boxes that correspond with the answers of all multiplication problems from one through 12. One of the most common methods used to teach multiplication tables is the recitation of the tables. To perform this exercise, teachers ask students to say all the facts along with her, starting at one. As a classroom activity, the students and teacher begin reciting, “one times one is one, one times two is two” and so on all the way through the entire chart, finishing the recitation with the 12s column.
An effective way to teach multiplication facts involves teaching sequencing methods. For example, to teach the “two” times table, illustrate that as the two times table moves from one up, the numbers increase by twos. Before beginning, ask the children to count by twos, saying “two, four, six, eight” and so on. Show them that two times one is two, two times two is four, two times three is six and so on. The children may begin to see the pattern. This method works well with the two times table, as well as the threes, fives and 10’s.
A fun activity that helps children learn multiplication tables is the game of multiplication war. To play game, remove all the face cards from several decks of cards. Divide the children into pairs, and give each pair a deck of cards. The children divide their decks evenly between the players and place them facedown on a table. At the same time, each child must flip the top card in the stack, leaving two cards on the table. The children calculate the product of the numbers on the two cards. Whichever child answers correctly first keeps the two cards. The game continues until time runs out or one child obtains all the cards.
Classes commonly play the game “Around the World” to learn multiplication facts. To play this game, the children sit in their desks. One child begins by standing up next to one of the children sitting in a desk. The teacher asks a multiplication problem. If the child standing is the first to answer the question correctly, he moves to the next seated child. If the child sitting is the first to answer the question correctly, the standing child sits at that desk and the sitting child stands up and moves on to the next student. The goal of the game is to move “around the world” as far as possible by answering the questions correctly the fastest.